1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an upright type vacuum cleaner having a cyclone dust collecting apparatus, and more particularly, to an upright type vacuum cleaner having a cyclone dust collecting apparatus and a removable dust barrel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an upright type vacuum cleaner having a cyclone dust collecting apparatus has a suction brush that is connected to a cleaner body and moved along a cleaning surface. The interior of the cleaner body is divided into a dust collecting chamber, in which the cyclone dust collecting apparatus is removably installed, and a motor driving chamber, in which a motor is installed. During operation, the motor generates a strong suction force at the suction brush. The suction force draws air and contaminants on the cleaning surface into the cleaner body. After being drawn in through the suction brush, the air and contaminants are drawn into the cyclone dust collecting apparatus, installed in the dust collecting chamber of the cleaner body. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus guides the air into a vortex that whirls at a high speed. The vortex of air has a centrifugal force, by which the contaminants are separated from the air. The contaminants are then collected in the cyclone dust collecting apparatus, and the clean air is discharged out through the motor driving chamber.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 10 includes a cyclone body 11 and a cyclone housing 12. The cyclone housing 12 includes a centrifugal separating chamber 12a and a dust barrel 12b. The centrifugal separating chamber 12a has an opening that interconnects the centrifugal chamber 12a with the dust barrel 12b. Accordingly, the air drawn into the cyclone body 11 forms the vortex current in the centrifugal separating chamber 12a. By the centrifugal force of the vortex air, the contaminants are separated from the air, and guided into the dust barrel 12b through the opening 12c. Thus, the contaminants are collected in the dust barrel 12b. 
The process of emptying the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 10 of the upright type vacuum cleaner, when it is full with contaminants and dust, will be described below. First, the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 10 is removed from the dust chamber. Next, the cyclone housing 12, which holds the contaminants and dust, is separated from the cyclone body 11 of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 10. The user then dumps the contaminants and dust from the dust barrel 12b of the cyclone housing 12 into a dustbin.
The arrangement described above is inconvenient for a user, since the user has to first separate the cyclone dust collecting apparatus 10 from the dust chamber and then separate the dust barrel 12b from the cyclone housing 12 in order to empty the dust barrel 12b of the cyclone housing 12.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-described problems of the related art. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an upright type vacuum cleaner having a cyclone dust collecting apparatus enabling a user to dump contaminants collected therein easily without separating the entire cyclone dust collecting apparatus from the vacuum cleaner. The user need only remove the dust barrel, which holds the contaminants, from the vacuum cleaner in order to dispose of the contents in the dust barrel.
The above object is accomplished by an upright type vacuum cleaner including a cleaner body having an upper dust chamber, a lower motor driving chamber housing a motor, and an air inflow path and an air outflow path for interconnecting the upper dust chamber and the lower motor driving chamber. The vacuum cleaner further includes a cyclone body mounted in an upper portion of the dust chamber, and a dust barrel removably mounted on a lower side of the cyclone body. The cyclone body is connected with the air inflow path and the air outflow path. A suction brush, which is mounted on a lower portion of the cleaner body, is movable along a cleaning surface. The vacuum cleaner further includes fine dust filtering means removably disposed on the air inflow path and the air outflow path.
The cyclone body includes a cover having an open end and a closed end, and a contaminant discharge port formed in the closed end. The cyclone body also includes a head portion having an air inflow pipe connected to the air inflow path for guiding the air in a diagonal direction with respect to the cover, an air outflow pipe having one end connected to a grille that extends toward the closed end of the cover and is connected to the air outflow path.
The closed end of the cover preferably includes a spiral surface. Also, the dust barrel is substantially cylindrical in shape and has an open end and a closed end. The open end of the dust barrel aligns with the closed end of the cyclone body.